Tackling noise polltion in your garden isn't as difficult as you may have thought

Imagine being able to sit somewhere, oblivious to the world outside. The frantic comings and goings of people as they go about their daily lives never touching you. The cars and the trains. The radios, the sirens, the laughing chatter - none of it disturbing the peace of your garden.

This isn't as you may suspect, a wishful dream, rather it's a reality that's readilly available to those willing to put in a little bit of effort.

Greg Watts, Professor of Transport Acosutics at The Transport Research Laboratory in Berkshire has the solution; 'What you need is to create a barrier between yourself and the noise source. Since noise is carried on the air, this barrier should be as near impermeable as you can make it.'

Ah, so the good news is that if you can create a near impermeable barrier, then you can block out the majority of external noises.

The bad news is that this in reality rules out the use of hedges or a thin belt of trees and shrubs at the end of the garden. The noise will simply filter through it.

So what is the solution?

Acoustic barriers.

Jacksons for instance have a choice of two. The Jakoustic Reflective or the Jakoustic Absorptive. Using these could result in a maximum noise reduction of 32Db; this would allow you to while away the hours in the garden in relative peace.

Ideally the barrier does need to be as close to the noise source as possible, this can mean applying for planning permission, but don't worry, if you wish, I can help advise you on this.

You'll find that the Jakoustic Reflective Barrier meets most residential needs. It has specifically designed tuning fork posts that feature an interlocking vee with a tongue and groove. Because they fit snuggly together, leaving no gaps, there's no space through which sound can travel through. You can find out more about them by clicking here

If the goal is complete silence, the Jakoustic Absorptive Barrier goes one further. It incorporates an additional absorptive layer covered with a reflective membrane on one side of the reflective surface to further reduce the noise by an average of 4Db.

There is however, one sound that you will notice with the use of these barriers - birdsong. Research by Boise State University has suggested that gardens that are quiet are preferred by birds, as it seems they, like us, favour peace and tranquility.

It is also worth mentioning that both these barriers help make your home that little bit safer. The traditional horizontal rails have been replaced with a completely flat face making them difficult to climb while the 34mm thick acoustic boards are difficult to penetrate.

If you would like to talk to me about installing an acoustic barrier in your garden, then I look forward to hearing from you. If using man-made barriers doesn't appeal, the I can obviously discuss with you other natural ways that we can look at masking the noise for you - but some noise will still get through.

The main thing is that now you know your garden can be the haven of peace that you want it to be.